How do I know if my Dachshund is a healthy weight or too thin?

Thank you for your question. From the photo of Joshie it does not appear that she is overweight. It can definitely be difficult to evaluate based on a photo though, especially in a furry dog like Joshie. Putting your hands onto her body can help you determine her body condition. You should feel a waist/area where he trunk slenders around her abdomen. You should be able to feel her ribs when you run your hands over her chest but they should have a small/thin layer of fat over them. When you run your hands under her, her belly should narrow/have a tuck. You can read this article for more information on proper body condition scoring: https://www.petcoach.co/article/how-to-tell-if-your-pet-is-overweight/ If you are still concerned, a vet can examine Joshie and let you know for certain!

Hello! In an ideal situation, you can feel the ribs, but not see them, so that sounds pretty good! When you look at him from above, there should be an "hourglass" shape, just behind his ribs, in an ideal body condition.

From the photos, he looks just fine. You should be able to feel his ribs. If you can see them, he is too thin. If you have shaved his coat for the summer to keep him cooler, please know that a dog's coat insulates against heat as well as cold, so there is no need to do it. The full coat also is some protection against mosquito and tick bites.

Sadly, overweight pets are so common that those actually at a healthy body weight may appear too thin to many people. As a general rule of thumb, a dog or cat’s ribs should be easy to feel under a *thin* fat covering, but should not be visible or difficult to feel. Additionally, a dog or cat should have a visible “waistline” with a tuck up in their abdomen. Your veterinarian can assess the body condition scores of to provide a more objective measurement of your pet’s weight, but tools like the [PetCoach Healthy Pet Weight Calculator](https://www.petcoach.co/healthy-weight-calculator/) can also help to guide pet owners at home. Maintaining a healthy weight is crucial to a pet’s health, as obesity can lead to an increased risk of developing heart disease, diabetes and a number of other health conditions.

Hi, thanks for using PetCoach! The picture quality isn't great but Duke appears a bit think. I think I can see his hip bones. Please look at this ideal body condition chart and aim for a 4-5 body condition score. https://oregonvma.org/files/Purina-Dog-Condition-Chart.pdf I hope this helps!

If her ribs are really sticking out and there is no fat or muscle, then see your vet. There could be a medical cause for her condition. If your vet clears her, increase the amount of food offered until she is at an appropriate weight. Ask your vet how to perform a Body Condition Score (BCS) on your dog using the 9 point scale. Ideally, she should have a waist when looked at from above. Her ribs should be seen and easily felt under a layer of fat/muscle. From the side, her chest should tuck up into her abdomen.

You should be able to feel the bones with gentle pressure over the ribs and spine. Without a photo, I can't say by looking what kind of body condition she has, but from the description above twelve pounds is a good-size Chihuahua. This chart may help you visualize if she is underweight or not. https://www.aaha.org/public_documents/professional/guidelines/weightmgmt_bodyconditionscoring.pdf